(Newser)
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Jeni Stepien's father was murdered a decade ago in a mugging, but she still found a way for him to play a role in her wedding over the weekend. Before the big day, she wrote a letter to Arthur Thomas, the New Jersey man who had received her father's heart, reports CBS Pittsburgh. And that's how Thomas ended up walking her down the aisle in Swissvale, Pa., on Saturday. They met in person for the first time on the eve of the wedding, and Stepien placed her hand on her father's heart to feel it beating. "It has been the best day of my life," she said of the wedding. "I was just so thankful that my dad could be here with us today in spirit and a piece of his physical being as well. That was really special for us." As for Thomas: "I can't think of a greater honor." (The station has images of their meeting here.)